MPs are not extensions of provinces

Joe Volpe talks about the appropriate role for federal MPs

The federal members of parliament, says the former minister of immigration Joe Volpe, cannot be considered an extension of the provincial governments in Ottawa.
In an interview with Corriere Canadese –Tandem, the Ontario Liberal MP wades into the dispute between Ottawa and the Atlantic premiers and criticizes the pressure over MPs to side with the premiers of their province and break ranks with their national political organization. “If this practice is pursued further by certain provinces,” says Volpe, “then I believe that the MPs from Ontario might also take a second look at their role.”
Volpe says, “by now everybody has made their point, equalization has been accepted, the provincial premiers are defending their point, and they are capable of doing it. The role of the federal government is to maintain a federation that is unified, strong, progressive and foreword looking, and I believe that we all should keep this in mind in all our discussions.”
As for the role of the Province of Ontario, Volpe says, “Ontario has always been a great contributor to the federation progressive outlook. However, as a member of parliament from Ontario, I know that that contribution can be taxed unduly, especially if more and more provinces become defensive of their own interests. So, I believe that the Province of Ontario needs to defend its own interests, however, the members of parliament from Ontario need to keep in mind that when we enter in discussions like this, Ontario is a net contributor to the federation and equalization plan. We should be making sure that nothing is done to diminish Ontario’s ability and willingness to make that contribution.”
Recently, however, this role seems to be under a lot of stress.“Lately the Members of Parliament from Ontario have been under a lot of pressure from the city of Toronto in particular, and from Ontario in general,” Volpe says. “We are accustomed to this pressure but we always kept the interest of the federation in front and centre. The provincial premiers defend the interests of their provinces. For us, unity is the most important, and the national economy is important for building a society for tomorrow. I wouldn’t like to see a situation develop where a Member of Parliament from Ontario is nothing more than an extension of the provincial government of Ontario.”
Volpe is not going far enough to criticize his own Liberal Party but says, “speaking from a partisan point of view, I wouldn’t like to see the current prime minister [as] the sole spokesman for Ontario.”
Will that bring about a change in the attitude of the Liberal MPs from Ontario? “That’s not the way our confederation will be strengthened,” Volpe says, “but my concern is that other provinces, including Ontario, might make similar demands to their members of parliament. That would be a development that would not be very productive, and we would rethink the issue of representation.”
Asked why he voted against the equalization formula presented by the federal government if he was in favour of it, Volpe says that the federal budget is not about one issue: “I voted against it for a variety of reasons. I don’t believe that the budget will accomplish what I believe is important. However, what the discussion is now focused on in the budget, unfortunately, is on something that divides Canadians.”
The former federal minister for Ontario says, “We are talking about equalization as the centerpiece of the budget. Yes, I voted against the budget, but I think that the discussion of the equalization runs the risk of dividing the country because the precedent that has been vigorously and aggressively moved by provincial premiers will have a cascading effect on provinces, in particular in Ontario, which is a net contributor to the equalization.”

Publication Date: 2007-06-24
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=7428